The Myatt's Fields Park Food Group blog

Take a journey to Jamaica by tasting Lahnah’s lovely Ackee and Saltfish with Fried Dumplings:

History:

This simple Jamaican dish is usually eaten for Sunday breakfast. You can add ground provisions like yam and green bananas or rice to make it a main meal. You can eat it as a snack with roasted Breadfruit or Bami, made from cassava or with Jamaican hardo bread. Or of course, with fried dumplings!

The Ackee is a fruit that is picked from the tree, but not until it is open, otherwise it is poisonous! We luckily have the benefit of tinned Ackee which is ready for use.

Journey cakes or Johnny cakes, better known as fried dumplings, were a part of the staple of the slaves in Jamaica and many other islands. They were a type of ‘fried biscuit’ taken on long journeys when the slaves travelled around or while working on the plantations.

Many meats and fish were ‘corned’ with salt to preserve them, hence salted codfish – you can find other types of salted fish which work just as well.

Prepare Dumplings – Add all dry ingredients in a bowl. Gradually add water, enough to make a firm but soft dough. Do not overwork as this will harden your dumplings. Cover bowl with damp cloth. Leave to sit for 10/15 minutes.

Using a large frying pan, add oil. Let it heat up vigorously. In the meantime, take a small piece of dough and knead into a ball – press flat and then place in the hot oil. Repeat the process until all the dough is used. Dumplings will cook quickly, so keep turning them in the oil until golden brown. You may need to turn heat down slightly to enable the inside of the dumpling to cook. Break one to see if the middle is cooked through. Makes 15 or more depending on size -smaller balls of dough (not too small) means quicker fry time.

Set dumplings aside until ready to eat – ok, you can taste one!

Tip: you can place the dumplings in a dish – put on a very low heated oven – not for too long – to keep them warm.

Prepare plantains – Using the same pan, add sliced plantain to hot oil, turn them until golden brown. They are very quick to do. Place in a dish and place in the oven to keep warm.

Prepare Ackee – Open tin and drain off fluid – place in a bowl until ready to use.

Tip: I pour boiling water onto the ackee to remove the brine – gently – this fruit is very delicate and will turn to mush if over handled. Drain and set aside.

Prepare Saltfish – Wash off salt granules under the cold tap. Soak fillets in a bowl of cold water for at least 4 hours. If still too salty, soak a while longer. Drain. Flake the fish, removing any small bones and place in a bowl until ready to use. Heat pan with ½ cup of oil. Add onions, spring onions, garlic, scotch bonnet, thyme. Saute until softened. Add sliced bell peppers. Add flaked saltfish. Bring together (do not stir) in saucepan and then add fresh chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes on a relatively low heat. Now add the ackee. Gently fold into the mixture and do not stir otherwise it will break the ackee down too much and end up resembling scrambled eggs! Sprinkle black pepper. Simmer for 3 /5 more minutes. Remove from the heat.

Tip : If you find it’s too salty, place in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil until it looks frothy – drain off the water – if still too salty repeat process, but don’t lose the flavor. You could also use this method, rather than waiting for the saltfish to soak.

Tip: Be careful when handling scotch bonnet peppers. If you are sensitive it is best to use gloves when chopping. You can opt for chillis which are not as hot if you prefer, but scotch bonnet adds authenticity to the dish and has a distinct heat! Remember to remove the seeds please! Keep them in if you like it dangerously hot!!! At your peril.

Serve your ackee and saltfish with the fried sliced plantain and dumplings. This dish can also be eaten cold.

Tip: A fresh green salad is a lovely accompaniment.

Tip:*You can source all these products at your local supermarket now. (Morrisons, Tesco for example)

Cooking Jamaican food takes a little patience. And, this recipe is not for weight watchers! I hope you enjoy THE JOURNEY!

In January, February and March 2014 Myatt’s Fields Park Project run Intergenerational Food Project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food scheme.

Local people were employed to teach their favourite recipes to parents with young children. We particularly aimed to find people who wanted to learn how to cook from scratch.

The cooks recruited their own participants and taught four sessions each. The sessions were run in the park depot kitchen and in Mulberry Centre -perfect for participants with young children.

Madlyn Tuck and Candice James have both run OOCCs at Myatt’s Fields Park and Max Road Park. Jennifer Haynes is one of our volunteers for our cooking programme, and Serena Thompson is a young parent who wanted to teach other young people. Arfa Mirza cooks for Roots and Shoots.

Method:
Prepare the chicken using the breast. Prepare the vegetables, wash rice. Add oil to the pan, add vegetables. Add a teaspoon of turmeric, add the chicken and brown. Add the water and rice, bring to boil, turn down to simmer until the rice is cooked. Serve and enjoy!

Method:
Pre-soak the salted cod in a large bowl, preferably overnight or at least for 1 hour. Remove the salty water from the cod. Rinse the cod pieces 2-3 times, to get as much of the salt out, but making sure that there is enough for flavour and taste. Divide the cod pieces, removing bones, particularly small bones even if you are using filleted salted cod. Separate the cod and using fingers, tear the cod into small pieces and place into a large bowl.

To prepare the mixture, you will need two bowls, one for the codfish fritter mixture and one for the vegetable fritter mixture.

Meanwhile, wash then dice the onion, chop the spring onion (green part only), dice the sweet peppers and slice the okra.
Place the ingredients into a bowl adding the cornmeal, self-raising and chickpea flour. Add the black pepper, thyme and pimento. Mix the dry ingredients well with a metal spoon. Divide the dry ingredients and place into a new bowl. Add the codfish to one of the bowls. Add the sliced okra and sweet-corn to the bowl without the codfish. Add approximately 500ml of cold water or 1 large cup of cold water, to each bowl, a little at a time to the mixture, into a thick batter. Add more cold water, flour or additional seasoning at this stage, if necessary .Allow the mixture to rest.

Heat a frying pan with oil, and using a large spoon scoop the mixture up into individual portions, and drop into the hot oil, sauté for 2-3 minutes on a medium
heat, on each side, until cooked and golden brown in colour. Remove the fritters from the frying pan, and place onto two individual plates or bowls. One for the codfish fritters, and one for the vegetable fritters.
For the zesty lime and tomato sauce, wash then chop or slice the tomatoes, grater the zest of the lime, extract the juice of the lime removing any pips, and place in a bowl. Heat the oil in a hot frying pan. Add garlic, allowing the garlic to fragrance the oil for a few seconds. Then, add the tomatoes, zest and juice of the lime into the frying pan, and sauté for 2-3 minuets or until the tomatoes soften slightly, and the flavours combine.

Spoon over the fritters, or serve in a small bowl or plate, garnish with the remaining chopped spring onions (the white part) and serve immediately.

Tip: If you are using a tin of sweet-corn, empty the contents and drain well.
Frozen sweet-corn can also be used, but be sure to thaw well by ‘blanching’ the sweet-corn with boiling hot water. Making sure that the sweet-corn is covered well with the hot water. Allow the sweet-corn to defrost for up to 10 minutes, and drain well before use.

Method:
Put two pints of water in a large saucepan on medium heat to boil.
Put chicken in a saucepan, add peeled carrot, pumpkin, cho-cho and celery and bring to boil.
Stirring as you go, make dumplins and bring to boil along with yam and potatoes.
Cook for 15 minutes then add onion, spring onion, thyme, Maggie cubs and chicken noodles.
Cook for a further 30 minutes, finally add salt and pepper.
Serve and eat/blend for babies.FACILITATOR: ARFA MIRZA

Method:
Soak the lentil for 15-20 mints in cold water after one wash.
Sauté the crushed garlic in oil. When light brown in colour add the washed and finely thin chopped onion, celery and leek. Fry them for 5 minutes, add little salt. When all ingredients are softened add the red lentil and 4 cups of water. Boil it for 10-12 minutes. When lentil changes its colour blend it using hand blender to make it smooth.

Your soup is ready!
For children you can add little bit of butter at the end.

Mix up the mince with beef seasoning, black pepper, salt, chopped garlic, chopped onions and herbs.
Heat a frying pan with a tea spoon of oil.
Put the mince in a frying pan and fry it up until it browns.
Add canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes with some water to the pot covering the mince.
Leave the mince to simmer ( this should take 1 hour 30 minutes)

Prepare Spaghetti:
With your hands break the spaghetti in half
Put the spaghetti in boiling water and leave to boil for 10-15 minutes.

When ready, drain and mix with the sauce.

Prepare Cheese:
Grate the cheese and sprinkle on the top of ready spaghetti bolognaise.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. Our community gardener Fabrice and Orn prepared a few jars of Kimchi, using fresh produce from the greenhouse. We waited impatiently for a few weeks, before finally we could taste the famous pickle during Greenhouse Open Day lunch on 2nd February. It was served together with delicious Korean meal of pork and chrysanthemum green, cooked for our greenhouse volunteers by food hero Heyon. You will find all recipes below.

Method:
You will need a large shallow mixing bowl to soak the cabbage.
If you don’t have it, use your kitchen sink. Wash the leaves carefully before soaking.
Mix 2 cups of salt in the water. Chop cabbage leaves to bite size pieces, cut leafy part into bigger bits than the white stem part. Add the cabbage in the salted water and mix well. Press down on top to wilt a little.
Let it soak for 1 hour, then turn them around so the top side will go to the bottom, and continue to soak for another 1 hour. Rinse 3 times and drain well. Press firmly on the top to get rid of extra water. Set aside.
Finely chop pear, apple, ginger, garlic, onion then blend them all together well.
Combine the blended mixture with sugar, fish sauce, 1 tbsp of salt, Korean chilli flake in a bowl. Mix well and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Cut spring onion and slice Korean radish, then put them in the bowl with the cabbage.
Add the mixture sauce and mix all well.Storage:
Keep in the jar at room temperature for 2-3 days then put in the fridge. Last up to 3 months. Older Kimchi taste stronger, and is best to use for cooking rather then a side dish.

Method:
1. Make the marinade by mixing all of the ingredients above.
2. Mix the pork and the sauce together and let it marinate for at least 15 min. or more. It can marinate in the fridge for up to a day.
3. BBQ the pork over a grill or cook the pork in a hot frying pan. Turning them over when it starts to brown.
4. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish.
Serve pork bulgogi with some rice, fresh vegetable side dishes or with some ssam and ssamjang. It’s also a great dish to have with any jjigae or soup.

Tips:
Storage – freeze either cooked or uncooked pork bulgogi for later.
Variations – add sliced onions, carrots and mushrooms if you want to add some vegetables to the dish.

Method:
1. Boil water in a pot. While boiling, wash the chrysanthemum Green. Add the chrysanthemum green to the water and boil for 2-3mins.
2. Take the greens out from the water and squeeze out any excess water. Put them in a mixing bowl.
3. Chop the greens in about 4cm lengths.
4. Time to season! Add salt, sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds and spring onion, gently tossing the greens.

Garnish: A bit of spring onion and sesame seeds on top is the traditional Korean way to garnish namul.

We have plenty of tasty recipes to share, following series of Food Heroes and Intergenerational Cooking Project.
We start in sunny Italy, with hearty red and white lasagne, cooked by our Food Hero Alessandra on 7th of December 2013.

RED LASAGNE (serves 10-12)

Two packets of fresh lasagne sheets (500g)

For the meat sauce:
One bottle of Passata (700g) and one carton of chopped tomatoes (400g)
500g lean beef mince
50g pancetta cubes
Two small carrots
A couple of tbsp finely chopped onions if liked
Salt to taste
Fresh or dried herbs if liked (oregano, marjoram, sage)

First prepare the meat sauce: fry in olive oil the onions if using until soft, add the pancetta until slightly browned, add the beef, mix well and brown. Add finely chopped carrots, and herbs if using, salt conservatively (a final taste when ready and adjust if required). Simmer at medium heat for 20-30 mins whilst getting the rest ready stirring occasionally so not to burn the bottom of the pan.

Take the lasagne sheets out of the packet but keep the films in between, place in an oven dish big enough to be able to submerge them with boiling water from a kettle (or follow packet instructions if preferred). Leave to soften.

Make the béchamel: melt the butter over very low heat, add the flour gradually incorporating with the butter to form a paste, add the cold milk little by little making sure there are no lumps. Turn on the heat, initially medium high then medium low just before boiling (must not boil). Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn, until of a custardy consistency, not too dense (it will become denser when cooling and it would be difficult to spoon over the lasagne layers).

Turn on a conventional oven, at 180 degrees.

Now take an oven dish large enough to take two lasagne sheets side by side. Wet the bottom with a little tomato sauce then start layering: lasagne sheet (just shake off excess water, no need to dry), tomato sauce, béchamel, parmesan. Repeat until the last lasagne sheet. At the top put sauce and/or béchamel topped with cheese (whatever is left). Don’t over-spoon the sauces – they should last till the top layer. Place in the hot oven for 40-45mins until the top is nicely browned (not burned!). reduce the heat after 30mins if you think the top is getting burned, and if necessary place a sheet of foil loosely on top to avoid burning. Leave out to rest for at least 10mins before digging in otherwise the layers will fall apart. This dish is always even better the day after. it’s perfect for batch cooking as it freezes very well and can be defrosted in the fridge overnight then re-heated in a hot over for 30mins until piping hot.

WHITE LASAGNE (serves 10-12)

This is an alternative to the traditional meat sauce lasagne and can be adapted according to taste to include pancetta with the veg, shrimps or ham in between layers if liked. This recipe is suitable for vegetarians (I hope).

Finely chop mushrooms and courgettes, fry in a little olive oil for 5mins until softer but not cooked through, salt and pepper to taste.

Place the lasagne sheets in a dish and pour boiling water over as above. Leave to rest.

Prepare the béchamel (as above) to the same loose but not runny consistency. Add the veg and mix well.

Turn the oven on 200 degrees.

Start the layering after oiling slightly the oven dish: lasagne sheet, béchamel with veg (distribute the veg as evenly as possible), spread a handful of grated mozzarella and a good tbsp of grated hard cheese (you’d add any other ingredient here if wished, such as shredded ham or shrimps or smoked salmon trimmings). Repeat to the last lasagne sheet, top with béchamel, mozzarella and cheese.

Pop in the oven for 30-40 mins until the top is nicely browned. Rest for 10-15mins before serving.

Everyone is welcome to attend Myatt’s Fields Park annual Christmas market and carol concert on 15th December, with carols round the bandstand accompanied by the South London Concert Band from 5pm.

In the afternoon, there will be a small Christmas market on and around the bandstand (we’ll put tables on the bandstand and under a marquee for stall holders). If you would like to book a stall, fill in the form attached and return it to me at this email address or post it in the box outside the park depot. Tables will be confirmed on receipt of payment.

The cafe and event will be run by volunteers. We’d very much appreciate donated cakes for our cake stall, plus help on the day (setting up, clearing away, volunteering in the cafe).

Many thanks to Minet Conservation Association which is funding the event.

Food Heroes are coming to save you from fast food and all boring culinary experiences. The lovely Orn, who used to make the Thai take away for the Little Cat Cafe, will be teaching how to make our favourite chicken massaman curry with turmeric rice this Saturday from 10.30am in the depot kitchen, Cormont Rd.

We’ll try to take meticulous notes while cooking to share the recipe with you here.

Last time Orn made fresh spring rolls…

However the Recipes used for the past two sessions were as follows…

On 23/11/2013 with Dammi…

Lump-rice and Ice Cream recipes

1) Mango Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 tinned of mango slices
1 tub of medium size fresh cream
1/2 tin of unsweetened evaporated milk
1 cup of brown or white sugar
a pinch of salt
4 egg yolks whipped
200 grams brazil nuts finely chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla essence – optionalMethod:
Liquidize the mango, add sugar, cream, evaporated milk and whipped egg yolks, then pour the
mixture along with the chopped nuts into an ice cream machine, mix until it turns into a right
texture. If you do not have an ice cream maker, leave the mixture in a freezer to cool, take it our at
every ten to fifteen minutes, mix firmly. It has to be done at least thirty minutes to get it to a right
consistency.2) Sri Lankan coconut milk rice

Ingredients:
1 kilo of basmati rice washed and drained
1 onion chopped,
1 whole garlic peeled and chopped
a two inch piece of changer peeled and chopped
a small piece of cinnamon
five crushed cardamom pods
a few peppercorns
a few cloves
salt
two cups of creamy coconut milk
1 tablespoon full oil, and a 1/4 inch slice butter
1 cups boiling water

Method:
Make a paste of ginger garlic and onion, add to the rice. Then add the rest of the ingredients except
water and the coconut milk , mix well. In a microwave, cook the rice for four minutes until it’s
roasted and sealed. Stir the water and the coconut milk into the roasted rice, cook for about ten
minutes. Then cover the rice with a lid, decrease the heat of the microwave to 350 to 400 watts,
cook for another 5 minutes.

In a cooking pot, heat the oil, fry the sliced onion until slightly brown. Add the ginger,garlic, onion
paste, the curry powder, turmeric, chilly and salt. Mix well, gradually add the billing water while
stirling until a it turns to a thick paste on slow fire. Put the cardamom, cinnamon, and curry leaves
and mix. Add the chicken, fold it in the the mixture well, leave it to cook for about 10 minutes
covered with a lid. Open the lid, stir well, if the chicken is well cooked, add the coconut milk, cook
for a few more minutes, add the lemon juice and continue to cook for another two to three minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the aubergine until golden brown. Remove the aubergine from the
oil, spread it on a kitchen tissue, gradually for the oil to drain off. In to a pan, add the coconut milk,
and all the ingredients except tomato and the aubergine. On a medium fire cook stirling constantly
until thicken to a creamy sauce. Add the tomato, cook for a five minutes on simmered heat, finally
add the aubergine, cook for another 3 minutes and remove the curry from the fire. Nice to serve it
hot.

Method:
Heat the oil in a frying pan, saute the garlic, add the chilly powder, cardamon, curry leaves, canon
and salt. Mix well, add the potato, fold it in the mixture and cook on slow heat for about five
minutes, add the lemon juice, mix and remove from the fire.

Method:
Clean the chicken dry it with kitchen roll for chicken fillet cut in to the bite side then heat the cooking
oil in sauce pan on medium low heat fried the chilli paste and also add 2 tbsp. of coconut milk to stop chilli paste
to get burn.
keep stir until you can smell a fragrant of chilli paste then add then rest of coconut milk put the chicken
stock cube, fish sauce, palm sugar in then bring it to the boiling in this stage have to keep your eyes on the sauce
when it begin to boiling add the chicken and potato turn on the high heat until the curry start to boiling then
cooking in medium low heat with lid on for 30 minutes and check the chicken should be cook and tender then
heat off and add the roasted peanuts that’s it ready to eat

Method:
Clean the rice in cold water then grated the turmeric and adds 2 tbsp. of water then rinse out the
turmeric water in to the rice pot add the rest of the water cook the rice on high heat until the water start to get
to the same level as the rice put the lid on and move to very low heat and cook for 10 minutes done